1. Field of the Invention
The present invention deals with the field of marker devices utilized for providing various marks upon substrates. Such marking instruments are normally provided with a single reservoir for marking fluid positioned within a barrel with a nib in fluid flow communication with the reservoir to allow marking by the opposite end of the nib as desired. Some such marking instruments may include nibs having angular or slanted surfaces or pointed surfaces to facilitate writing therewith and others may include horizontal or block nib ends for stamping one or more designs as desired therewith. Other marking instrument configurations may include double ended markers wherein both ends of the barrel are utilized for marking and wherein the configuration of each nib is different to achieve different marking effects as desired. Alternatively stamping can be provided for one or more ends. The use of double ended and single ended marking and stamping writing instruments is well known. However, the present invention provides a unique configuration for the nib retaining member which allows formation of different configurations of nibs and markers utilizing the same barrel, nib holder and nib parts.
The present invention further includes a uniquely configurated separating plug member which includes plug ridges and plug ribs for defining clearance spacing between the walls of the plug and the fibrous reservoir member in order to minimize wicking and increase the evenness of flow of the media to the marking tips.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various prior art designs for markers both single and double ended have been patented such as U.S. Pat. No. 1,108,314 patented Aug. 25, 1914 to M. M. Anderson on a "Pencil Stamp"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,456,904 patented Dec. 21, 1948 to N. H. Wahlstrom on a "Stamp"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,783,711 patented Mar. 5, 1957 to H. Vance on a "Stamp"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,043,316 patented Jul. 10, 1962 to M. E. Bolser on an "Applicator For Fluids"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,251,344 patented May 17, 1966 to E. N. Dorna et al on a "Writing Utensil"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,684,389 patented Aug. 15, 1972 to A. Eron et al on a "Double-Ended Marking Pen"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,690,777 patented Sep. 12, 1972 to A. Cost on a "Double Dispensing Applicator With Twin Reservoirs"; and U.S. Pat No. 3,733,139 patented May 15, 1973 to J. Neidhardt et al on a "Dual Writing Instrument"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,765,780 patented Oct. 16, 1973 to B. Guu et al on "Writing Implements"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,865,496 patented Feb. 11, 1975 to G. Robbins on a "Combination Pen And Pencil Writing Device"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,918,819 patented Nov. 11, 1975 to H. Liu and assigned to Kent Industrial Corporation on a "Writing Implement"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,941,488 patented Mar. 2, 1976 to D. Maxwell on a "Marker/Anti-Marker System"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,104,781 patented Aug. 8, 1978 to Y. Midorikawa and assigned to Glasrock Products, Inc. on a "Method Of Manufacturing A Marking Pen Having A Nib And An Ink Reservoir Integral Therewith"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,156,657 patented May 29, 1979 to A. Lin and assigned to Burroughs Corporation on a "Ball Point Pen, Ink And Its Eradicator System"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,212,393 patented Jul. 15, 1980 to L. Lenkoff on "Magic Pictures"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,213,717 patented Jul. 22, 1980 to A. Lin and assigned to Burroughs Corporation on a "Ball Point Pen, Ink And Its Eradicator System"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,221,490 patented Sep. 9, 1980 to C. Malm and assigned to The Gillette Company on a "Two Ended Retractable Writing Instrument"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,822 patented Oct. 14, 1980 to T. Kokubu and assigned to Zebra Co., Ltd. on a "Composite Writing Instrument"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,229,115 patented Oct. 21, 1980 to L. Olinsky and assigned to Binney & Smith, Inc. on a "Nib For A Writing Instrument"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,406,555 patented to K. Tsai and assigned to Cathay Pen Corporation on Sep. 27, 1983 on a "Nib Replaceable Writing Instrument"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,142 patented Jun. 5, 1984 to R. Eckels on a "Multiple Head Rubber Stamp"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,509,875 patented Apr. 9, 1985 to K. Shintani and assigned to Colleen Pencil Co., Ltd. on a "Felt Pen Having Two End Caps"; and U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 279,992 patented Aug. 6, 1985 to S. Gribb on a "Dual Tip Marking Instrument"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,549,827 patented Oct. 29, 1985 to W. Mack on a "Writing Implement With Two Retractable Cartridges"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,618 patented Dec. 10, 1985 to M. Iwata et al and assigned to Pentel Kabushiki Kaisha on an "Ink And Eraser Of The Ink"; and U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 295,878 patented May 24, 1988 to J. Lovell on a "Dual Applicator Marking Instrument"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,034 patented May 21, 1991 to J. Stary et al on a "Marker And Pen Combination Employing Transverse And Longitudinally Spaced Tips"; and U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 321,717 patented Nov. 19, 1991 to L. Hager on a "Combined Ball-Point Pen And Correction Fluid Applicator"; and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 328,917 patented Aug. 25, 1992 to T. Shike et al and assigned to Tokai Corporation on a "Twin-Nibbed Ball-Point Pen"; and U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 329,873 patented Sep. 29, 1992 to C. Tu and assigned to Chuang Tao Corporation on a "Marking Instrument"; and U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 336,425 patented Jun. 15, 1993 to J. Napora, Jr. on a "Double Ended Marking Instrument"; and U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 336,922 patented to C. Lin on Jun. 29, 1993 for a "Ball-Point Pen"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,823 patented Jun. 29, 1993 to P. Conforti on a "Device For Marking Tickets For Game Of Chance With Translucent, Vibrant Colored Ink"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,123 patented Aug. 16, 1994 to U. Obersteller et al and assigned to Pelikan GmbH on a "Double-Ended Pen"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,924 patented Feb. 14, 1995 to C. Chao on a "Drawing Pen Having Multiple Side-Matched Absorptive Drawing Tips"; and U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 355,933 patented to S. Collins on Feb. 28, 1995 on a "Combination Writing Instrument And Bookmark"; and U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 362,649 patented Sep. 26, 1995 to R. Rak et al and assigned to Motorola, Inc. on a "Stylus Pen"; and U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 366,279 patented to S. Voorhees and assigned to Inventure Development Corporation on Jan. 16, 1996 on a "Marker"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,881 patented Mar. 19, 1996 to P. Chang on a "Writing Implement With Correction Supply".